Chris Evans Retires From the Silver Screen

Ever since Chris Evans heated up the atmosphere in the Fantastic Four franchise, fans have loved watching him save the world. From the Human Torch to the red, white, and blue shield of justice, comic readers and Marvel movie watchers have never been more enthralled. Fans have watched him flame on as well as lay waste to intergalactic foes as Captain America, a role he is slated to reprise yet again in May 2016 for the release of the new Captain America: Civil War film. With such superhero fame following the six-foot, soon to be 34-year-old, Boston native, fans are eagerly wondering: Why is Chris Evans retiring from the silver screen after such a successful superhero run?

In an interview with Variety magazine, Evans spoke candidly about how he originally turned down the star-spangled Captain America role due to their want to make him sign a nine-movie contract deal. “The problem was initially, it was a nine-movie contract,” says the actor. “And they said, if these movies take off and do very well, and my life changes and I don’t respond well, I don’t have the opportunity to say, listen, I need an [expletive] break. That just scared me.”

Since 2011, Evans has adorned the stripes and stars costume four times over, with the release of his new film making number five. With a grueling hero shooting schedule, keeping in tip-top shape, and keeping with contractual agreements, it is amazing to most that he even had the time to hustle out three other projects (all of which were non-superhero films) since his 2011 start as the shielded crusader. Movie goers might not remember these films as all of them had one common denominator, none of them made any real box office cash!

Romantic/Comedy, What’s Your Number? hit the masses with a huge release in 2011, following Evans’ Captain America: The First Avenger. It struggled only making $14 million. The Iceman, a thriller which followed in 2012, barely made over two million. Lastly, Puncture, in which fans say Evans gave the performance of a lifetime, made just a smidgen over $68 thousand. Evans candidly expressed to Variety, “No one sees my good little movies, man.”

Watching a movie, specifically a franchise of Marvel hits, one may not be able to grasp the concept of how such a successful star may not want to continue to play a role that fans have come to love. Though acting is about portraying different characters and connecting those characters to mass audiences, movie goers often forget about the real people who play the roles they so fervently connect to. Evans knows all too well what it is to be burned out from the pigeon hold of comic-book character casting.

Even co-star, Scarlett Johansson, eludes to the same saying,”It can feel like a gilded cage at times… it’s something that obviously allows you the opportunity to do things like go and direct your first feature and have a built-in audience for that. At the same time, at the end of the job, there’s always a super suit in your future.”

As an actor one might have an everlasting passion for the craft, however, even the most talented actor wants to branch out and do other things. For Chris Evans, retiring from the silver screen as an actor does not mean he is done with movies altogether. The 33-year-old actor has a new-found love in the directors chair, having directed a film in only 19 days in New York named 1:30 Train. Bowing out of the actors spot, he is truly excited to delve deeper into directing, having told Variety that his retirement plans should take effect at the conclusion of his Marvel contract.

When he is not saving the world, out of contractual agreement, or directing a film from behind the camera, Evans’ can be seen and heard having fun with openly gay brother and actor, Scott Evans. Scott is known for his role as Oliver Fish on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. Scott recorded the two of them singing a James Taylor classic, Fire, and Rain, on YouTube during a Memorial Day celebration earlier this year. This family definitely knows how to have a good time while also supporting one another as Chris accompanied his brother to the 2013 GLAAD Media Awards along with their mother, Lisa.

If fans are wondering if this will truly be the last time we see the handsome and versatile actor on-screen, no one really knows except Evans himself. What fans do know, is they can definitely plan on being entertained, at least for a few more years, with Evans’ portrayal as Captain America with the next installment of the character being released next year and Marvel’s Infinity Wars saga allegedly soon to follow. Chris Evans might be retiring from the silver screen, but he is only 33. Who knows how his mind may change a decade from now.

2 Responses to "Chris Evans Retires From the Silver Screen"

He’s NOT retiring!!!! He’s said in so many interviews that he’s simply taking a break from acting (not retiring). He wants to focus a bit more on directing, but that doesn’t mean he’s retiring. He’s addressed this rumor so many times on interviews and said that he IS NOT retiring.